Deadly suicide car bombing rocks Somali capital

By Mohammed Dhaysane

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) - Multiple people were killed in Somalia's capital on Saturday after a suicide car bombing that targeted a security checkpoint near the presidential palace, police said.

"There are multiple casualties from the attack but we don't know exactly how many people have been killed or wounded" Abdi Hassan Mohamed, a police officer in Mogadishu, told Anadolu Agency over the phone।

Minivan driver and eyewitness Guuled Ibrahim told Anadolu Agency that he had seen several people killed in the attack.

"The explosion was huge. After the blast occurred, there was gunfire. Minutes later, we rushed to the scene and it was horrific, with a lot of confusion," Ibrahim said.

A Somali police spokesman also confirmed that the attack was caused by a suicide car bombing.

The Al-Qaeda affiliated al-Shabaab terror group claimed responsibility for the blast shortly after the attack.

The same organization was behind numerous similar attacks across the country.​​​​​​​